Peoria, Rockford medical schools get boost

Monday

University of Illinois trustees on Monday advanced expansion plans for state medical colleges in Peoria and Rockford.

University of Illinois trustees on Monday advanced expansion plans for state medical colleges in Peoria and Rockford.

In a unanimous vote, the board of trustees approved a resolution that maps out a $13.5 million cancer-research center proposed for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, has called the effort a “dream-come-true” project that could make his downstate city a major hub for cancer research.

More than $9 million has been raised for the project, according to the resolution. Once all of the funding is in hand, sponsors must go back for final approval from the board of trustees.

The 22,000-square-foot addition, which would include wet labs, would be built on the southwest corner of the college’s existing building. Details of the Peoria Cancer Center were expected to be unveiled this morning at a local news conference.

Also Monday, the board of trustees approved a financial plan for a $31 million addition at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. The 58,000-square-foot addition will help expand the college’s National Center for Rural Health Professions; enrollment increases and a new regional pharmacy college are planned, according to a news release.

“This expansion of the Rockford facility will allow us to serve not only northern Illinois but also citizens in rural areas throughout the state with caring practitioners and professionals,” Sylvia Manning, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago, said in a written statement.

The board of trustees’ action authorizes debt financing for any funding gaps in the project, which is receiving a combination of public and private assistance.

Trustees also selected the Rockford firm Larson and Darby Inc. to provide architectural and engineering services. The firm will be paid $1.48 million plus expenses estimated at $120,000, the news release said.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.